Almost there

Oh, my aching back! The kits are almost done -- I ran out of fabric and have to get some more tomorrow. Once the fabric is cut, the rest of the kits will be assembled (that's the easy part).

I did take a break and made this. I'll bet you think the B is for Bird. But the B is for Bella, as in Silver. It needs to be ironed, but I was too tired....

And

Happy Halloween!

[Life's a witch and then you fly]

Birdies for Bella

In between putting together my Silver Bella kits, I'm also making goodies for my vendor table.
Naturally some of them are birdies....

We're going to Silver Bella

Reality hits

In about two weeks' time I'll be flying to Chicago to catch a plane to Omaha for Silver Bella. So it will come as no surprise that, if you're looking for me, I'll be under the piles of stuff going into the kits that have overtaken my living room and other sundry spots in my apartment. And please be careful where you step!

Meanwhile, have some pears. I like the poires d'Anjou best.

Detail of a collage on book cover (c) colette copeland

Once upon a time

This is one of my early watercolours. [As you can see, I was always a minimalist.] This piece was influenced by Turner, whose work I still love. As a largely self-taught artist, I studied the masters, the ones whose work I was drawn to.

(c) Colette Copeland

More bird talk.
It says it all, leaving me with no words!

 This is one of three Bird Talks that I'll be listing on Etsy very soon.

Bird Talk

The birds are talking again. These are the latest in my Bird Talk series. They are about to fly off to Sydney (Australia).

I lived in Ocean Beach

Saturday practice

If you know me, you know that I go through phases. I'm coming out of a textile art/sewing phase and entering a drawing phase. More drawings to come in when it's daylight and I can photograph them.

How to start the day

One of my earliest memories is of a grandmother who made lace with a needle. She would roll fine muslin with her thumb and forefinger and "sew" a lace border, then make exquisite little corners of lace, sometimes quite intricate, all with a needle and thread. I absorbed the basic stitch just from watching. It went something like this (although mine is big and clumsy).

A beautiful autumn day. Mellow mists and the whole poetic thing comes to mind as I look down on the multicoloured treetops in the park. A cool breeze rustles through the trees and a dog barks.

I'll be out in it soon, a trip to the Post Office and the grocery store, and back to my work table. It's a quiet life right now, and it is very, very good.

A rough ride for the tree, not the frog!

Good habits

Spending a little time every day sewing, the mind rests and clears away the cobwebs. It's a good habit.

Work in progress. The end result is anyone's guess!

Being confined next to a box of Kleenex and herbal tea fixings, I did a lot of sewing this weekend, among them a winged creature for my wall.

While I sewed, my mind was planning how to put together a pile of kits for... Silver Bella. It is on the horizon and the reality sunk in when I was asked to book my airline ticket. To my utter shock I learned that my first workshop is sold out. I hope I can live up to it!!

This is no time to get tied up in knots.

My cold has taken its course -- so predictable -- and is in the last phase.
Outside the fall weather is glorious. I've been keeping watch over the trees in the park, and I can tell you they turn practically overnight. It's like the Head Tree says: All together now! and they all turn red and gold.

Ah, Nature!

Friday's child

Autumn heart in the morning sunlight.

 This is one of those random pieces, where one thing led to another.

It seems I didn't escape the bug that's going around. It feels like a minor cold, but still uncomfortable. So I'm dosing myself witIh herbal tisanes and zinc and C. There's nothing left to do but sit quietly and sew.
 

Lavender sachets

After ecstasy, the laundry.
[Zen observation]

I tea-dyed a batch of muslin using the tea bags I made iced tea with. I like that they get "recycled" this way. I've never been a fan of using old tea bags in collage work, but I'm all for using them for dyeing fabric. Tea gives a very subtle pink tone to the muslin.

Thanksgiving Day

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope your "harvest" is bountiful, and that you didn't overdose on turkey (I did!) and pumpkin pie. Yes, Thanksgiving dinner was perfect in every way!

Among the goodies from Jocelyn was a pile vintage lace rectangles. The moment I saw them I knew exactly what I would make.

Envelopes/pouches. They become part of the gift inside. Sometimes the gift can be a letter, and I had vision of letters and notes written by hand and inserted into a lace envelope.....

My aunt encouraged a loose (but controlled, if you know what I mean) style when I started drawing and sketching. Don't box your drawings in, she would say. I can do that without thinking with my textile art, because that's how I like to do it, but I've needed practice with drawing. Unfortunately (or not) I'm one of those people who actually can draw a straight line, so I have to be deliberate about drawing, say, a crooked little house.

Friday's child

Yesterday I hung out with my friend Jocelyn who presented me with a bag of my favourite things.
Amid the treasures, this one had  me breathless: an antique French Thomas Cook ticket folder. Those were the days, when your travel ticket was presented in what's practically a bound book. I've never seen anything like it. But then, I've discovered that Jocelyn has a knack for finding this kind of thing. That she could part with it tells you where her heart is...

 And one of her collages that I had admired. [Check out her Etsy shop.]

Bonjour!

So you can recognize me next time you see me.

And so back to work!

[Although I have more treats before my birthday week is up!]

Today I had my hair cut. I look like a teenage boy. Or a gamine (mischievous/playful girl child - boy child would be gamin). In my mother's day they used to call it à la garçon (boy style). I think the last time my hair was this short was when I was 6 years old, according to family photos. I needed a change, and I got it. I'm not the type of person who can't part with her hair because....hair grows!!

My friend Julie, one of my oldest friends who now lives in Santa Barbara, arrived yesterday evening with this lush bouquet that she designed and that the florist put together. It is really beautiful and fragrant, and the photo cannot do it justice.

Then we went for dinner at Terroni, which we seem to do everytime she's here. We ordered three dishes and shared them: calamari salad, sliced filet mignon with caramelized red cabbage and potatoes, barley risotto with shrimp. They were heavenly, a gastronomic triumph. We finished with a panna cotta (one of our rituals), but I left most of it for her because I couldn't eat another morsel. Julie and I first met as young editorial people on the late Epicure magazine, so when we get together, food always has an important part to play!

The winner is.....

a.rogue

Please email me your address!

Birthday Draw

To celebrate my birthday (Tuesday, October 5), I am having a draw in Blogland tradition.

Leave a comment here to enter the draw, which will close at 12 noon on Tuesday. 

It wasn't me!

It's Sunday afternoon and I'm home after two days and nights with Rocky. We got along famously, but he did play me a little... still, I caught on quickly! We tussled for space on the bed at night but it was comforting to have him there. He barked/talked to me when he needed something, so communication was very good. My pride and joy was that I was able to have him take his daily pill (hidden in a piece of chicken). Good boy, Rocky. Best boy, Rocky!

I woof you, too!

Friday's child

I'll be gone from my computer for two days. spending them with Rocky. OK, I'm dogsitting. If he'll let me photograph him, I'll post the photos when I get home Sunday night.

Meanwhile here's the daily bird to put a smile on your face!

Have a great weekend.